Stage Overview:

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

It’s often said that a Kingdom movement is a leadership development movement. From the leader of a single discovery group or house church to established network elders or apostolic leaders in multiplying movements, prayer for leaders and with leaders is crucial. Just as we want our work to be centered around abiding in Christ, we want the work of every emerging and established leader to be centered around abiding in Christ - but we will reproduce what we are. So as we grow in prayer for and with leaders, we need to continually return to the foundation of abiding in our own lives.

There are vast amounts of material on leadership development, both from secular and Christian perspectives, and there is much we can learn about mentoring, coaching, and more; but ultimately the heart of a leader must be formed by God himself. All of the skills development and knowledge that a leader can obtain will fall short if that leader's heart is not shaped by regular, intimate connection with the heart of God. And despite out best efforts, there is only so much that we can bring about in the life of a leader; so much of what must happen must be done by God, not us. And so we come back to the centrality of prayer.

Perhaps a good starting place would be consider our own assumptions about leadership, and what kind of leader God desires to raise up in an emerging movement. We would do well to ask God to shape our perception of what kingdom leadership looks like both in our home context and in our focus context, and to begin to pray into those things. How does God want to shape our vision for emerging leaders? What is on God's heart for the leaders he will call to expand, correct, pastor, and teach this emerging movement? How can we begin praying into those things now, even if we haven't yet identified any leaders?

Prayer Priorities for this Stage:

* Control kills movements. Ask God to help us trust his Spirit not obsess over inevitable mistakes

* Ask God to shape and mold emerging leaders as only He can (Jn 6:44)

* Ask God to mold a strong love and trust among all the leaders and between leaders and those whom they lead

* Pray that God will re-form the understanding of leadership from the prevailing culture to a biblical understanding of leadership

* Pray that God will continually raise up new leaders and that the older leaders will release and empower them

* Pray for God to expose any sin or error so that it can be dealt with in a healthy way

* Learn about the cultural norms of leadership among our focus people, and listen around the potential impact to movement work

* Model devotional, listening, and intercessory prayer as a core part of our lifestyle as we interact with emerging leaders

* Pray for emerging leaders according to their spiritual gifts and calling

* Pray and listen to God about the cultural lies and traps set to ensnare emerging leaders in our context, as well as the cultural lies and traps concerning leadership in our home culture

* Pray and listen around how we will reproduce all sorts of prayer in the lives of emerging leaders